We're now in the last stretch of the Sabretooth War, and things definitely start to pick up in this issue. Logan is mind-controlled into working alongside Sabretooth in this issue, but it's done in a rather organic and interesting way, making him believe he's back in his past and back to being old Team X pals with Creed. The art does a very good job to convey this plot point, as we get to see both reality and what Logan sees.

Kid Omega is also a surprisingly pleasant part of the issue. He brings snarky comments that serve to rile Sabretooth up a bit and he does find a way to help Logan a bit, even though it does seem too little too late given how the issue ends.

The Exiles also get a chance to appear, and like the earliest issues, there is no holding back on the violence. No character is safe as we see members of that team die at the hands of Sabretooth. Laura also gets a short time to shine as there is a small cut to her experience as Sabretooth's captive.

The only thing that drags the issue down is Sabretooth's plan to depower Wolverine. Not only is this plot point ruined by the fact that we know this has to be undone for the Fall of X events that occur after this series (the release schedule for these books took the stakes out of a lot of stories by revealing the fates of certain characters before their stories end) but also, this exact scheme was done by Sabretooth years ago, so as a long-time reader of Wolverine comics, it's disappointing to see a retread of an old beat like this. more

We have reached the end of both X-Force and the end of the final story arc for this series. The issue started out strong, action and dialogue felt well-paced, but everything speeds up about halfway through the issue as a rush is put on events to conclude the story. Evil Beast's actions at the end don't really feel earned, as nothing he says or does before his demise makes me feel like he had a change of heart, even though he did repent and saved his friends. It also continues the trend of the villains destroying themselves without the heroes' involvement, so it makes one wonder why X-Force even had to become involved.

Thankfully, the rest of the cast is given something to do in this final issue, and it is a treat to see Colossus and Omega Red team up to take down a sentinel. Laura also gets a chance to shine in the issue as well as she takes the lead in the field.

The art, as always, is great. Thankfully, enough differences are kept between Evil Beast and Good Beast so there isn't a case of mistaken identity between the two characters, even when Evil Beast is out of his mecha armor.

It is difficult to say how the series will be looked on in the future, but at the moment, when this last issue is still fresh and new, the story in its pages can be at least considered to have interesting ideas, as well as bringing up difficult questions on morality that will be good to reflect on long after the final page is turned. more

Last issue, I was glad to have a break from the violence that started this whole Sabretooth War, but this issue really made me wish that some of that violence would return as this issue continues to set pieces in place. There's nothing really eventful or exciting that takes place in this issue, it mostly just seems to promise more interesting things for next issue rather than doing anything here.

Sabretooth is the main character in this issue, and while we do see the Exiles and Logan make appearances, the Exiles are left to accomplish nothing and Logan only appears at the end to set things up for the next issue. There's nothing of particular note that Sabretooth says or does with Kid Omega that hadn't been established previously, and I have noticed that is a particular flaw Percy has in writing his longer story arcs with villains: they tend to get repetitive and retread dialogue that has been used before.

The art continues to be phenomenal and is probably the best thing about this issue. Let's hope next issue delivers on some actual plot. more

I don't read Dr. Strange comics all that often, but when I saw Taskmaster was going to be making an appearance in this story arc, I just had to pick this up. And I am happy to say I was not disappointed. If you're like me and just jumping into the issue without reading any of the series prior to this, you won't have any trouble keeping up. It's a fun romp, not weighed down by other events that may be going on in the series, and references to other events are clearly labeled so a person knows where to look if they want more background.

As for the story itself, it is a pretty standard affair of the heros (and Taskmaster) going on a quest to save some kids. The banter between the characters is hilarious, and you can tell everyone is having a good time despite the danger. The ending of the story ends on a cliffhanger with a Dr. Strange villain reveal who is involved in the game in a way that makes sense for anyone who has ever played Dungeons and Dragons. The stakes are raised well with the reveal, and I am excited to see how it all wraps up. more

This issue was a much needed change of pace from the violence of the first issues of this Sabretooth War as we get to see the cast deal with the repercussions of the attack on the Greenhouse. There's a great deal of character work done here with the cast that I enjoyed, everyone is struggling with the losses they have had and everyone is responding to those losses in a different way. Logan's response is heartbreaking, as we see him going mad with anger over the loss of his son, and then the silent moment of mourning he has over losing Laura. His mistakes weigh heavily on his conscience, and it is a very interesting difference between how he views his rivalry with Sabretooth compared to Sabretooth's views, which were revealed last issue.

The other exceptional thing about this issue is the art. It is beautiful and dynamic. Action scenes are filled with fluid motion and the character's faces are incredibly expressive. more

As X-Force reaches its conclusion, we get an issue that focuses primarily on Beast, both the good and the bad. The good Hank gets a chance to shine and show his knowledge, skills, humor and good nature as he reconnects with Wonder Man. On the flip side of that, we see what bad Hank has been up to and I was pretty shocked at how nefarious his plan is and how well-connected it seemed to be to the wider narrative of X-men comics. It's not often we see references and connections made to other X-books in Percy's writing, but I think it was done really well here and I am very curious to see how the team resolves this dangerous situation.
When the story isn't focused on Hank, it is unfortunately weaker. The fact that good Hank managed to escape undetected for an entire 24 hours seems like a glaring oversight on security and doesn't make the team look good. I also noticed that Wolverine seems to be back in the lead role leading field operations despite the fact that he had abandoned the team for an extended period, it seems a bit odd that we don't see the characters really reconciling or settling into their new dynamics with each other. Instead, most of the cast is just there, and I for one wish that they actually got more diologue and development before the series ends. more

The gore and violence is turned down a little bit this issue as we move away from Sabretooth's assault on the Greenhouse and Logan and go back to his home base for an issue. We get to see inside Sabretooth's head here, and it's nice enough work to set up his motivations and get an inside look into what he's doing and how he's doing it, but it's mostly just a set-up issue to get everyone ready for the next bout. Still, while the pace and tone of violence slows downa bit, it is a nice reprieve from the gore that was seen in the first two issues and sets the pieces in motion for two characters in particular to make an impact later on in the story. more

The violence continues in this issue, and a lot of it is pretty disturbing, especially with some of the kills he does in this issue. Not even children are safe from Sabretooth, and while Sabretooth is doing all of this to get at Logan, it's starting to get to me, the reader, as well. There's still eight issues to go, so there's probably going to be more cast members not named Logan who are going to die, but I'm already hoping for Sabretooth to get what's coming to him. If this comic doesn't convince people that Sabretooth is irredeemable, I don't know what will.
The art continues to astound, even as the gore is splashed across pages. We can feel Wolverine's pain, both emotional, as he experiences more loss, and physical, as he pulls an unexpected move to try to save as many people as he can before Sabretooth slaughters them all. We see more of the remaining X-Force cast have a role here, but there's still at least one missing member that has yet to be accounted for. Hopefully that will either be cleared up here, or in the remaining issues of X-Force, which have yet to be released despite this event taking place after that series has been concluded.
The issue ends on an interesting cliffhanger with Wolverine's last remaining kid at the base, and while it's doubtful that will be the end of her, Sabretooth has done his job well to shatter Logan's hope to try to break him once and for all. Let's hope the next issue continues the hype. more

First of all, the art is fantastic for this issue. The characters are all well-drawn as is the gore that is present in the fights and other violence we see on the page.
Plot-wise, we were promised the most violent Wolverine story ever told, and right out of the gate, there's no holding back. Characters die in incredibly gruesome ways, cementing Sabretooth as Logan's top baddie, as no other character has even come close to the violence and trauma he's dishing out on Logan already. And this is just the first issue! We will have to see where this all leads. more

Beast is back, and this time, it's not just the villainous one coming around to cause trouble. This issue brings back a version of Hank from the good old days, and one of the first things a person will notice is how different old Hank is compared to the modern, evil version of the character. Percy does a very good job of capturing old Hank's mannerisms and style, and Gill does good work here drawing Hank bouncing around on the page, hanging upside down from ceilings and capturing other small mannerisms with Hank and the other characters.

There's also some interesting diologue with Sage and Logan, and it's rather reflective on how each character has viewed second chances and redemption throughout this series. Sage has always been about giving people a chance and that they can change if given the opportunity, while Logan is rather unforgiving and convinced people will never change from who they are. It's an interesting argument, one I would like to see delved in more as the series barrels to its conclusion.

My only complaint with the issue is how it jumps from scene to scene without really much explanation of how characters go from point A to point B. An early example of this is when Omega Red is taken down by evil Beast at the beginning of the issue, but is suddenly fine a few pages later. We also don't really see Sage's thought progression on why she think reviving old Hank would be a good idea. I would have liked to see a bit more of her line of thinking when she came to this decision.

Overall, a solid start to what looks to be X-Force's grand finale. Let's hope it reaches a satisfying conclusion for its cast. more

Wolverine and Kid Omega are officially back with X-Force, and the first order of business is for them to return to taking up a vast majority of page time in this issue at the expense of the rest of the cast. In Wolverine's case, a majority of his character beats could have been better served being written in his own book where they could have been fleshed out and written better, as he comes off as very rude, hypocritical and generally out or character. And the plot with Quentin recovering the use of his powers through the power of love falls incredibly flat, and his arrogant, condensending attitude towards the rest of the cast doesn't help his case.

When the story is not focused on Percy's favorites, there's good world-building going on. Sage and Black Tom make a great team constructing X-Force's refuge appropriately named the Greenhouse, and while their diologue is pretty much just regulated to setting up the team's status quo for the next few issues, it does it well. There's also a cute scene with Laura reuniting with some surprise guests and Colossus and Domino having a constructive talk that gives us a little insight into what those respective characters are thinking and feeling right now.

Overall, the issue does what it sets out to do, setting the team up for the next story arc. It's biggest flaw is focusing too much on characters we are overly familiar with by now and not with the rest of the cast who desperately need more page time to flesh them out. more

World building continues in this issue as we get several pages dedicated to telling the villain's side of the story along with the developments going on with Cap and his crew. There's not too much going on beyond that as new characters appear to provide more information and depth to the story and set up the larger conflict that is sure to come.
The art is also pretty good and seeing Dugan punching Capwolf to knock some sense back into him was probably the funniest and best moment out of the issue. more

After a strong buildup to this final issue, there was a concern that Percy wouldn't stick the landing. But I was hooked from page one, as Colossus battled his brother and the various members of X-Force reconnected. My only real complaint is that the issue wasn't long enough. The Chronicler was used heavily to explain how things resolved, but it would have worked a bit better for me if they had given the moments described on his written pages some room to breathe.

The fight between Colossus and Mikhail was structured well and ended it a way that was satisfying, yet bittersweet as you can see the impact of what Colossus was forced to do weighing heavily on him. The art displayed the emotions of what each character was going through well, from Colossus's slumped look of sadness and resignment to Omega Red's expressions of anger and Laura's happiness at getting reinforcements. There is also an unexpected return for a certain character I thought wasn't going to return and his comeback was a joy to see. more

Stephanie Phillips understood the assignment: World War II and werewolves. Wasting no time, the story is set up quickly, moving from a World War II battlefield to a field hospital and to the conflict with a group of werewolves in swift sucession. The dynamic that will set the tone of Cap's relationship with the Howling Commandoes is set up with good diologue that seems to fit the characters. There is also a moment given to the villains of the story, helping set things up for the next issues.
The issue is a set-up issue, getting all the pieces where they need to be, but it's done efficiently and ends on a satisfying cliffhanger that will set the tone of the rest of this series. more

I really enjoy a good Captain America/Wolverine team-up, and while this one is a pretty standard affair with the pair taking out bad guys, there are things about the story that temper my enjoyment of it. The first is the art. I have had a very hard time liking the artwork in this series, but given the usual subject, I have tolerated it for the most part. But it is not a good look for Cap at all, especially when he is in his civilian gear. The faces just don't look good when they're not covered by masks.
The second is the dynamic between Wolverine and Cap. The two characters have a great deal of history together, and I'm not certain that Percy gets their complicated relationship right. Steve doesn't sound quite like himself at times and Logan's commentary on their dynamic is hit and miss.
The plot of the story was pretty good for this issue, and I enjoyed looking at the many Easter eggs on the pages featuring the Legacy House, even if the appearance of some of the auction items didn't make much sense, given their presence in other books. more

This issue has a lot of focus put on Colossus, his brother Mikhail and the Chronicler. Narrated with the Chronicler's prose, you really get an understanding of all three characters, who they are, what they want and what they are willing to do to get it. A data page on Mikhail gives a very great explanation on how his powers work, and the Chronicler's written narration demonstrates how cruel his powers are for the subject of his writing. There's also a betrayal here that has been rumbling for a long time, and it plays out wonderfully here.
That being said, this issue is a set-up for the big finale, Sage and Domino gather information from an unexpected cameo character, but don't actually do any rescuing, and the captured X-Force members are likewise limited, appearing on just one page. Still, it is a very solid issue that builds tension well and sets up a conclusion that should have major ramifications for X-Force. more

Domino is front and center for this issue, being the only field operative left for X-Force. For being the only one, Domino does her job very well, and it was nice to see the girls of the team working together on a mission, even though Sage never really leaves her desk.

Speaking of Sage, both her and Black Tom get some moments where we are updated on the struggles they have faced in this era. Sage is finding new ways to deal with her alcoholism while Black Tom is probably the only mutant alive who is really benefiting from Krakoa going dormant. These moments are nice character bits that flesh out the cast and makes the story feel grounded.

We also get to see what happened to the remaining X-Force members, and out of all of them, Omega Red looks like he drew the short straw. Though this is still Colossus's story, I think these next few issues may be important for Omega Red too because of what Mikhail is trying to do to him here. We will see how his redemption arc looks when this is all said and done.

This issue did a lot of work to set up the next part of this story arc and has quite a few moving pieces, from Colossus continuing to be controlled and Mikhail's plans with that control, to the captured X-Force team's experiences and the work of the rest of the team trying to free them. Sage said in this issue that the team was on the verge of being something great, and I feel like that also describes the feeling I have reading this issue. We will see if the next few issues give us that greatness or if everything crashes and burns. more

It's been a long time since we have seen X-Force interconnected with a lot of the major plot threads going on in the rest of the X-men books, but for Fall of X, how this issue tied into it all needed to be important. Thankfully Percy does a masterful job here, putting each team member in their proper place in relation to what is happening across Fall of X. It feels very natural to the characters and to their ongoing plots as well, as every action carries a consequence here.

As for the pacing, it is also handled very well, I never felt rushed along to the next plot point or bored with slow, meaningless pacing. Every page felt like it mattered and set things up beautifully for the next arc and issues.

And for those people who have been just dying to have Colossus's story get picked up again, you don't have to wait anymore. This story is back into full swing on one of its longest plot threads and promises to be a dark epic that will challenge the characters at every turn. We will just have to see if Colossus's character comes out of this unscathed or if his teammates will turn on him for his betrayal. more

Percy has struggled in the past to land a satisfying conclusion to some of his story arcs in previous issues of Wolverine and X-Force, but that is not the case here. This issue was very engaging, feeling very down-to-earth with solid stakes and goals. The action was also handled well, leading up to a climax that -- while not wrapping the whole plot up neatly -- does give a promise that it will and sets up a more cunning Beast down the road.

Though this is Wolverine's book, it is really X-Force that is the shining star of the issue. Sage leads the charge, making the bold decision to go against the Quiet Council to help Logan attempt to take Beast down. The field team of Omega Red, Deadpool, Domino and Laura handle themselves very well and show that they can be a force to be reckoned with and a black ops team capable of fulfilling their objectives. I hope this type of characterization is brought over to their own book as this issue of Wolverine gives them a more serious menace and edge that isn't shown as often in their own ongoing series.

Speaking of menaces, Beast finally shows himself as a competent villain and capable of planning things out several steps ahead. The way he manages to escape X-Force and Wolverine actually seems plausible without turning the heroes incompetent for the sake of the plot, which I appreciated. And the way he is written here, as a tricky planner, makes me interested to see when and how he will pop up again in the future.

This was a satisfying climax to a story arc that has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, good and bad issues, but lands on a good final note -- at least for now. more

Omega Red is not in this issue after being unceremoniously killed off the issue before, but with little given to the rest of the cast to do here, he may have been the lucky one. The issue just speeds through to its conclusion, never stopping for a moment to allow the characters to collect themselves, adjust to the new location or even come up with a strategy to beat Nimrod Beast. X-Force in this issue could best be described as just casual observers, watching the problem of Beast being solved rather than actually participating in his downfall. It's a move that not only destroys the image of Beast being a dangerous villain, but also makes the heroes look like they are incapable of solving conflicts.

And speaking of Beast, nothing he says or does here is any different than what he has been shown to say or do in the past several issues. It feels like the issue is being padded to fill space, which is irksome to me because there are so many other cast members that could have the spotlight shown on them, but aren't given any attention.

Sadly, it seems that yet another story arc by Percy fails to live up to its premise, going out on a whimper that makes a person wonder, "what was the point?" more

Even after all the issues with Kid Omega as the lead before this one, I think this is the issue where I finally feel like I can respect the character. Percy does very well balancing the different plot points here, from Beast's plan in the prologue to the struggles that both Kid Omega and Colossus are facing. You can see the pain each character is experiencing and the artist does a beautiful job showing their facial expressions.
Deadpool's appearance was both unexpected and fun, and this time around, the diologue between him and Kid Omega actually works and doesn't feel like the same character talking into a mirror. Based on what he said, it seems that there will be some secrets revealed soon, so it will be interesting to see how everyone reacts to those.
And I know I mentioned it briefly before, but the art here is just gorgeous. It is so incredibly detailed and a person could spend a lot of time looking at the backgrounds to find things like the sentinel covered in Krakoan flora. It's so beautiful and I hope this style remains after this quest is over.
The only bad thing I have to say about this comic is that it's solicited as being relevant to the X-lives of Wolverine event, but I didn't see any connection or references to that event besides seeing the Cerebro sword briefly. Other than that, a very solid issue. more

I came into this issue hoping for some thrills, epic action and some real continuation of the fight/hunt Wolverine has had for Beast these past several issues. It was really disappointing then, to take a big bite out of a nothing-burger on this one. Beast got much more of a meal out of this issue than I did, and that scene alone was repulsive. I can see what Percy was going for here in showing how awful Hank has become, but it has become so repetitive. Nothing new is said that hasn't been said before in previous issues, which really makes the whole meeting between him and Logan come off as such a waste. And the way this issue ends, it makes it seem like Logan will have much less to do with Beast's utter downfall than Beast himself which takes out all the excitement of seeing this story reach its conclusion. more

This was a really fun issue. While I am not the happiest that Kid Omega has returned, he is the catalyst for the start of an interesting plot which I assume will resolve Beast's villain arc once and for all. Time travel plots are tricky to write and make them feel like they have any value, but I feel it is handled fine here, even though the future mutants and future Wolverine-bot don't end up mattering, and I am still left wondering why they couldn't prevent all this by just staying in the present and eliminating Beast there.
There are a few areas that stuck out as highlights of the issue. The first of which is Colossus. A data page on the Chronicler was both informative and humorous as he tried to write faster than the plot developed. There is a small nugget of information about what Mikhail has been up to that has me intrigued on what will happen once they get back into the story, and it will be interesting to see how that tease is developed. As for Colossus himself, we get to see him as himself again for the first time in a long while. It will be a sad transition for him once this mission is over.
Another highlight was how Omega Red was able to cut loose and eliminate the problem single-handedly without receiving any explanation on what was going on. And this was after everyone else has given him up for dead. I wish we would have been able to see a bit more of that action, but I'll take what I can get.
The final highlight for me was the transition in art style after they traveled through the portal. It was very well done, and I think I prefer it over the art from the past while. It's much sharper with deeper colors, matching very well with the tone of the story.
Overall, a very good read that takes the plot to higher heights than before. Let's hope the upward trend continues. more

This was a pretty fun issue with a lot of unexpected twists. Beast continues to be horrible, hypocritical and cruel and these points are hammered home with the way he treats his clones and the places/things he's now targeting. The data page with the Beast clones all talking to each other got a little chuckle out of me too, just because it's funny to see an egomaniac basically talking to himself in a mirror, conspiring and patting himself on the back all at the same time.
The promised Wolverine/Maverick team-up looks like it will be great, and the two characters seem like they're finally acting like the way they used to with each other. I didn't really think about how much Logan needs an ally right now since he ditched X-Force, but Maverick backing him up just reminds me how much Logan needs people, despite his beliefs that he's better off alone.
The only thing I didn't like with this books was the way Jeff's daughter was written. She comes off as an adult the way she talks to her father and it's so weird. The back-up story with Sister Dagger was great too, but felt a little rushed and short. There was enough there for a whole issue by itself, and it's a shame that it was just slapped in as an afterthought. more

This was a good transitional issue, where some things are closed up, like Logan walking away from X-Force, and other things are set up for the next arc. And the setup for what comes next was very fun to read, from Sage finally getting to take charge to the Quiet Council delving into their views on recent X-Force events and Laura being recruited into the team.
Out of all the cast, I would say Sage gets the most to do, and it is for the best. Finally free from Beast's terrible rule over the team, Sage has hit the ground running, setting up a much less menacing headquarters, reaching out to Laura in a way that felt sympathetic, and having plans to run the team with a lot more morals, which is really in line with her characterization throughout this series. I'm curious to see how that will play out, as we have yet to see what everyone else really thinks about these changes.
The only complaint I have about this issue is that the action scene with the Beast creatures from space felt kinda forced and out of place, and was overall, not needed to get everyone together in time for the surprise reveal at the end.
Even if someone is not an avid reader of X-Force, I would recommend they check this issue out, as the Quiet Council gets a lot of page time here and shows off how dark and corrupted they have all become. And if you get hooked, it looks like whatever happens next will be a wild ride. more

I gave the first issue some slack but this one was pretty bad. The art is good but the cover is awful. It looks so static, like Steve Morris just cut and pasted everything on there from a computer. Ugh. Stephanie Phillip continues to make Gambit a buffoon and Rouge the responsible adult who has to look after him. Maybe responsible but not smart; just deciding to trust Destiny despite recent events and history. Guess she trusts her since Destiny treats Gambit like a child in the first issue and evidently the whole purpose of this book is to show how stupid he, and apparently Black Panther, are and how smart Rouge and Destiny are. Not only is Gambit written like a buffoon but he ties a woman to an oven in a building about to explode to distract T'Challa so the pair can get away. NO! He may be a scoundrel but come on. Speaking of T'Challa, he just shows up out of nowhere and starts a fight for no reason other than to have the typical hero vs hero battle. Lazy writing. Not like he's a KING who would use his brain before his fists. I think Philips wants this to come off as Rogue loves Remy even if he is a doofus rapscallion but it's just mischaracterization to fit her own narrative. It's a huge problem these days and the editors should be stopping this if they can. This title should be called Rogue babysits Gambit instead. more